On The Ropes

Round 13

Antwon's POV

Not to sound jealous... But having to share my best friend with multiple other people has been weird.

Beforehand, it was only me and his mysterious roommate and occasionally he'd leave to go sleep with a girl before returning back to me.

Then I introduced him to Javier and they started hanging out.

And now Rodney is part of the equation.

I'm still not used to that one. I was hesitant about it at first, but after seeing the way he takes care of Zavier and the way he treats him, I've realized they really are good for each other.

Zavier has always struggled to make friends. He's hyper and he talks a lot and he doesn't understand personal space, and that usually leads to him struggling to form bonds with people. Knowing that he has someone other than me to show him the love he deserves is great.

It really is great... I just also don't know how to feel about it on a more personal level.

Like now, watching him lay happily on top of Rodney with his head on his chest while he showed him his phone. Usually that would be us... But ever since my date with Javier, it's like everything has shifted and I don't know how to feel about it.

Obviously we're still best friends and I still love him more than anything and vice versa, but now I'm not just... His go-to guy.

I literally watched him walk past me to go lay on Rodney. He doesn't even do that with Javier.

And of course I know it's ridiculous to be jealous of him having another friend, especially considering I'm the one dating a whole other guy, but... I don't know. Life is weird and confusing.

I'm dating a new guy, I still have a crush on my best friend, my best friend befriended our rival, and our rival has a crush on me.

And I know I have no right to be jealous over him making new friends when I have a whole separate friend group, but it's different.

... Don't ask me how it's different. It just is.

Right now, Zavier, Rodney and I were sitting in a park together, having an oddly peaceful picnic of all things.

Believe it or not, it was Rodney's idea. He brought a blanket for us to lay out on, food and drinks, and pillows for comfort, all types of stuff.

It's so weird to see him being so nice... I understand that we're in high school and sometimes people just act up when they're our age, but I sincerely thought Rodney was just a perpetual asshole.

"Rodney." I called his name, making him pause his quiet conversation with Zavier as he looked up to meet my eyes. The eye contact only lasted a few seconds before he quickly looked away. "Zavier tells me that you're pretty smart... Why were you held back then?"

Rodney is nineteen. He was supposed to graduate last year but didn't. This whole time I just assumed it was because he wasn't very smart, but Zavier talks about him like he's the second smartest person he knows... Yes, with me being the first. Zavier thinks I'm first in everything.

"Oh, that." Rodney muttered, then shrugged his shoulders. "It was never about grades or nothin'. I get good grades. I'm sure it's the same reason you didn't graduate last year." I was given the offer to graduate early last year due to my grades and general intelligence, but I denied the offer when I realized I'd be leaving Zavier behind. "I'm just the oldest of my friend group and I ain't wanna graduate alone and leave my friends behind. So I asked to wait until this year to graduate with them."